Progress on reopening sheep trade to Bahrain and Iran

The Federal Department of Agriculture is 'optimistic' that the live sheep trade to Bahrain will be able to recommence early this year.

The Department also says its 'high priority' negotiations to re-establish a live sheep trade with Iran, for the first time in almost 40 years, are also 'progressing constructively'.

It's understood the focus of current discussions is around establishing health protocols for sheep from Australia.

It's believed the Iranian market for live Australian sheep could be around a million head per year.

Bahrain took approximately 500,000 live sheep per year from Australia until 2012, when Bahrain rejected a shipment on the grounds the sheep were diseased. Australia argued that the sheep should have been accepted according to Memorandum of Understanding in place between the two countries.

That rejection of that shipment lead to around 20,000 sheep being brutally culled in a facility in Pakistan in September 2012, in an incident condemned by animal welfare groups and the livestock industry alike.

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture says discussions between Australia and Bahrain about reopening the live trade are continuing.

"The department is optimistic that trade will be able to recommence early this year," the spokesperson said.

Discussions between Australia and Bahrain to reopen trade have been underway for some time.

Industry says it's working hard to re-establish the market and is excited by the prospect of Iran coming into play, but that discussions are at a sensitive stage.

Industry spokespeople have all stressed the importance of government and exporters doing their due diligence in Bahrain, to avoid a repeat of the 2012 incident.

The chief executive of the Sheepmeat Council of Australia, Dr Kathleen Ferme says access to any market is important and increasing market access will always benefit producers, but as with any negotiations around establishing markets, "we've got to make sure due diligence is done. We expect exporters to do their due diligence."

Once health protocols are agreed and a framework for trade finalised, Australian exporters would be able to apply to have supply chains approved under the ESCAS welfare assurance system.

The Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has previously named increased market access for live exports as one of his priorities, and says he'll be "disappointed" if there's no breakthrough in access to Bahrain before the end of June this year.

A spokesman for the Minister says he's "determined to see a resumption of trade with Bahrain and Iran in the coming months."

On 28 February, Mr Joyce will attend a beef industry forum in Broome where boosting live cattle exports to Indonesia is expected to be high on the agenda. It will be his first trip to Western Australia since becoming the Minister for Agriculture.